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sisterSTAFF Blog

As I sat down to write this month’s sisterSTAFF blog, I glanced at the date and realized it’s my diaversary. Twenty one years ago, with a blood sugar of over 1200 mg/dl, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

As many of you know, summer is a busy travel time for me because that’s when many important diabetes conferences are held! That means it’s time for me to learn about new diabetes advancements, meet with current DS funders and partners, and network with new DS donors/funders. This year, ADA’s Scientific Sessions were held in San Francisco, CA. Ironically, the first Sci Sessions I attended as the CEO of DiabetesSisters was in 2009 and it was also held in San Francisco, CA. As I walked around the conve

Running a nonprofit is a lot like having diabetes. “How’s that?” you ask. Well, just like with diabetes, there are a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions about nonprofits. (As a person with diabetes, how many times have you heard the following?: “You don’t look like you have diabetes” or “Oh, you must have eaten too much sugar…that’s what causes diabetes.”) Similarly, some of the statements I’ve heard about nonprofits since I founded DiabetesSisters in 2008 include:

Last weekend, DiabetesSisters hosted its SEVENTH Weekend for Women Conference. I have been fortunate enough to attend 5 of these Conferences (missing only 2010 Raleigh and 2012 San Diego), as attendee, volunteer and staff member. This year, I have returned from Washington, DC, where the Conference was held more motivated than ever.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words “Learn” or “Learning?”

For some, it’s a word that takes them back to books, desks, classrooms, and lectures---pretty tangible things. For others, learning is equated with exciting adventures and new ideas/theories-- more abstract things. Regardless of the way you view the process of learning, I believe it is the key to a long, happy life.

January was a whirlwind month! At the office, we launched new programming for our PODS Meetups, opened registration for our Weekend for Women Conference in Washington, DC, and met with the Board of Directors to discuss the organization’s focus for 2014. At home, I welcomed the first significant snowfall in the Triangle in many years which paralyzed things for a few days, continued to balance the home-diabetes-work-life scales, and faced a medical milestone in my life: my father needed a pacemaker. The news that my father needed a pacemaker scared and worried me.

The Best Year: 2014. That's the phrase I put at the top of my dream board for this year during our DiabetesSisters Fun Friday last fall. We carved out some special time one Friday morning and afternoon to spend together as a staff. It was a chance to have fun - even more than usual, get to know each other better (now I know who has a rotation of '90s tunes on their playlist) and reflect on the year ahead. Each year, I find myself making some variation of the resolution that next year will be one of the best years ahead.

Happy Holidays! It seems too early to be saying those words, but it IS already December! I’ve been doing a lot of traveling, networking, and strategic planning over the last month. Thoughout my travels, I’ve heard mixed reviews from a few people (with and without diabetes) who have signed up for “the new insurance” through the Insurance Marketplace....so I was a little skepical.

When I was diagnosed 20 years ago, doctors told me that there would be a cure in “the next five years.” But five years later, there was no cure and my battle with “diabetes denial” began. For two years, I was angry, depressed and noncompliant. Yes, I admit it: I was noncompliant. Sometimes I tested my blood sugar, sometimes I didn’t. Some days I injected insulin, other days I didn’t. I would postpone appointments to see my endocrinologist. I just stopped caring.

I’ve heard that question a few times over the past few weeks during interviews to promote the Weekend for Women Conference, which starts Friday. Before this summer, I’d only done one radio interview so it’s been fun to share about the conference and talk about our mission – work that means so much to me personally and professionally. But that question has also made me think about my own journey with Type 1 diabetes over the past 7 ½ years – the things I’ve learned and the advice I wish someone had been there to give me.